12 Best Old School Hollywood Feuds

Marlon Brando’s role as rebellious biker Johnny Strabler in The Wild Ones kickstarted a craze that saw American youths mimicking his character’s iconic style. Though his ensemble – leather jacket, biker cap, sunglasses and sideburns – looks a little Village People these days, it was all the rage back in early 50s and amongst Brando’s imitators was a young, on the verge of stardom James Dean.

Dean made no secret of his admiration for Brando and beyond mimicking his character’s style he also took hints from Brando’s acting style and even his lifestyle, riding a motorcycle similar to his idol’s and even reportedly dating Ursula Andress around the same time as Brando. And Brando noticed too, stating “Mr. Dean appears to be wearing my last year’s wardrobe and using my last year’s talent” after the release of East of Eden in 1955.

But much like Dietrich and Garbo before them, it’s been suggested there may have been a little more to their supposed feud than meets the eye. According to recently released book James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes – which, it should be noted, was co-penned by Darwin Porter who’s a bit notorious for his salacious and possibly inaccurate celebrity tell-all tales – Brando and Dean were actually engaged in a hot and steamy affair full of S&M antics and that Dean’s idolisation of Brando was more puppy love than anything else.

Although Brando has stated that their relationship never extended beyond meeting in passing in Hollywood circles, so maybe take that with a pinch of salt.